Great find in Richardson for an authentic vegan buffet prepared by the monks. Everything was tasty, fresh and hot. FOOD: lots of varieties, including rice and noodle dishes, fresh seasonal veggies. Today was lentil soup and a type of turnip & corn soup. They had veggie "egg" rolls & some fried bits of something that was really good. ATMOSPHERE: This is a great place to learn about Buddhist culture & food. Seating is cafeteria style. All plates, cutlery & cups are disposable. This week is Chinese New Year of the pig and it was festively decorated everywhere. SERVICE: Self-serve for the most part. TIPS: Get there early, at 11:30 to get the freshest and hottest dishes. Also, it starts crowding in at 12 & after. Last, bring your own glass /cup in as they only have little 4 oz cups for water or hot tea. read more

The best veggie buffet in town. Fresh and hot and authentic. Everyday is different choices, also have sweet soup desert too. As of Aug 2018, the price for lunch is now $7.00. read more

See all

The buffet is on the second floor of an office building. You go in and pay (as of 3.4.20) $7 upfront by the entrance and it is all you can eat. The food was simple yet surprisingly fresh and really good and selection was great. I would go back. read more

This place didn't wow but it's location inside an office building/ Buddhist temple was a surprise. The food didn't have a ton of flavor but the price was right and the food was vegetarian, fresh, and healthy. The place is very quiet. You walk in, pay your $6, grab a plate, serve yourself from the buffet, and sit down at the long picnic style tables. Eating with Buddhist monks is quite the experience. After my silent lunch, I walked over to the next door tea room and had a pot of lotus green tea (in a clear glass pot with a whole flower in it!) The sweet women running the tea room kept running up to my table and handing me almond cookies on little plates. That was nice and relaxing. So, for a meal that gives you some balance, support the local Buddhist temple and eat veg. read more

Why am I not surprised? Francesca! You beat me! I came here years ago and had a great experience. This is not a "temple" like the ones you see on tv... however there are MANY MANY monks walking around, doing their thing! I believe this temple follows a "thai" sect and most monks speak very little english. They have intro classes to buddhism, however no actual sitting meditations and etc.... however, feel free to ask questions! I left there after a few hours and one of the instructors gave me over 10 books! If you have not been to a temple, please come and eat! read more

They have a vegetarian lunch buffet on the 2nd floor for $6. Noodles, rice, soup, veggies, tofu, fruit..really yummy! It's so quiet and nice..I like it. read more

OK, I have a few things to add about the Buddhist buffet. Hours for the lunch buffet are 11:30 to 1:00 every day but Saturday, when they are closed. We got there at 1:30 and the food was pretty much gone so they did not charge me and my friend. That was very nice. The food was still delicious and they made a point to come by and give us the very last of the potato dish with Indian spices - it was the best thing I tasted. The seating is community style. Everything is disposable: paper plates, and napkins, plastic utensils. I'll definitely go back but next time, I will mind the clock and get there early! It's a feel good lunch spot. read more

This is hidden gem that I've been introduced to recently. Wow, the Vegan dishes are VERY good...I just can't believe how cheap this place is! I recommend this place to any Vegetarian or Vegan that's seeking home style Asian dishes. Note: The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, and it opens at 11:30 am (lunchtime) Note: This is a Buffet type of place. read more

Vegan chinese buffet for $6? What an amazing deal! Food is great, considering it is completely Vegan. I had to add this place to Yelp to make people aware of this awesome setup. I come here at least once a week to atone for my meat eating sins. Just a heads up that they play some Buddhist chant music in the dining hall. Not a surprise, as it is part of a Buddhist organization. Music is pleasant , but some people might find it not to their liking. It's the same song set on repeat, so if you stay too long, it might drive you nuts lol. It's on the second floor of the International Buddhist Progress Society. Ask the front desk for how to find it. If you're feeling generous, please drop some kindness into the donations box next to the front entrance. read more

This place is housed in an office complex. The second floor has the buffet and it is $6 cash. The food is very Chinese vegetarian, a lot of starches. There is a lot of that imitation meat type dishes and boky choy or Chinese spinach. The buffet was good for a buffet, especially when you compare the place to other Chinese buffet places around town. read more

I finally found this place! The food is very good vegetarian fare as noted by the other reviews. The food looks and tastes fresh every time I've been there. The atmosphere is friendly and peaceful. And six bucks for a healthy meal and a peaceful setting is worth revisiting. This is now on my regular list of places to go. read more

Great Asian vegetarian lunch buffet for $6! I was impressed! It's on the 2nd floor so you can take the elevator up when you walk in. Looks like a daycare on the bottom floor. I loved the tempura veggies, salad especially with their yummy dressing! They have a great taro stew and sautéed veggies with wood ear mushrooms! The tofu dish was very tasty with its sauce! I heard their lomein noodles, eggrolls, and fried rice were good! Their soup was awesome too! Lots of mushrooms and chickpeas and beans! For dessert, they have fresh fruit like grapes and strawberries and even asian red bean soup that's not too sweet! Hot tea and water included! You feel at peace here with the instrumental music too! Some songs may surprise you. I think I heard the themes song to Disney's Pocahontas and even a Christmas carol on their playlist! ;p The place is very clean and ornate! the food is fresh and tasty yet healthy aside from the fried items. :p Everything in moderation, right? This is a great hidden gem! I would come back! Gets pretty busy for lunch especially after 12! Opens from 11:30-1pm daily except Saturday I believe! Sunday 11:30-1:30pm. Great find! read more

I wish that I liked it here, but just didn't. The price is definitely great! Only $6 for an all you can eat buffet! That's about the end though. We walked into the building and found ourselves in the midst of a ton of little kids. There is a school when you first walk in. There are no signs or anyone to ask, but we had heard to go to the second floor so we found our way up there. An abrupt lady took our money and then we excitedly took off for the buffet. The buffet had two little stations of food to choose from. It was a little underwhelming, but I love Asian food so grabbed a paper plate and napkin off the huge pile of paper plates. (Who has the terrible job off making huge towers of paper plates with a napkin on each one!). I took some fried rice, some thin noodles, some fried ball things (nothing had names on it), some other noodles, some steamed rice, and some tofu dish. Unfortunately everything just tasted like salt to me. Way too salty. I don't know what any of the dishes are called and can't describe them other than tastes like salt. Maybe I just went on a bad day! Hopefully that is so. So I will not be back. Great price, but not many food options and I didn't care for any of the food. Asian food is usually healthy but was just fried or salty items. My stomach ended of hurting when I got home. Sad. read more

The lunch buffet, every day except Sat., is a good deal. The vegetarian food is simple, abundant, and generally tasty. The atmosphere is kind of like a school cafeteria, but everybody's cool. As far as the religious aspect of this center, it is definitely geared towards Chinese culture and Chinese speakers, and there are probably better options for a non-Chinese American to study and practice Buddhism. read more

I love this place. I take all new employees that start at my company here to initiate them to our team. I eat here probably at least once per week. 6 bucks, cash only. It's a paper plate, vegetarian buffet, no frills, cafeteria environment on the second floor of a Buddhist temple. I mean, who can't like that? One thing is that there a few strict meat eaters that I know who really don't enjoy eating here because they can't get their meat-fix, but even now and then they still come and even say they enjoyed it. read more

Service is on Sundays on the third floor, starting promptly at 10:30 AM. There are English translated chant books for you to join in. There are also audio devices that translate the service to English. After the service, everyone is given a ticket to enjoy the complimentary vegetarian buffet on the second floor. The staff is open and respectful to everyone who wants to learn about Buddhism. read more

I never really thought about the food here as this is the regular temple that my family attends. It is true that at $6, the 2nd floor vegetarian lunch buffet is very hard to beat and the food is actually quite delicious. I tend to be more carnivorous by nature but the food here is actually very full of flavor. I actually often forget that I'm not eating meat. There is also a tea house on the second floor that is also a very relaxing spot to enjoy some tea with friends. While I am Chinese, I do not speak the language so I was very relieved to find that there are many people on the staff that are multilingual and if they aren't, they tend to be very helpful with pointing you in the right direction. read more

Good healthy organic food options. Always my first choice in Buddhist vegan food. Amazing Mixed fruit tea at the tea house on Sundays. It's a must try for tea lovers. Only disappointment is that they use plastic spoons/forks in their buffet that results in single use plastic waste every single day. Not very appealing for a Buddhist temple focused at spreading the message of saving the planet. But it's not the only restaurant using plastic ware cutlery. read more

Briefs: An unexpected place to find one of the most amazing buffets in Dallas. And yes, it's all vegetarian. Surprisingly very filling and very affordable. [Last Visit: 2009] read more

A hidden gem. It's actually quite busy here for a place that doesn't advertise. It's cash only. It's the best vegetarian food I've ever eaten and it doesn't weigh you down and doesn't make you sleepy 2 hours after you eat it like most other buffets do. I love going here. read more

Great place to eat if you are vegetarian. The 'restaurant' is on the 2nd floor and opens at 11:30am. This is one of the restaurants I always take friends & family from out of town to when they visit. The price is very reasonable for all the food you get. Its a buffet style & the monks cook the food themselves. read more

An inexpensive lunch buffet with healthy vegetarian food, but the atmosphere is nonexistent. The dining area is set up like a school cafeteria. Metal chairs to sit on, arrangements of long folding tables that are shared amongst different diners, fluorescent lights, disposable silverware and plates. Beverages are self serve in 8oz styrofoam cups, and tepid water is dispensed from a jug type water cooler. No ice, no frills, no comfort. I should have read other reviews instead of listening to our friends before trying this place, because the restaurant is located on the 2nd floor of a generic looking office building. Once you enter the building, there are no signs or anything to indicate where the restaurant is. It is confusing. You get the feeling that while yes, the center does serve food to the public, it is obvious the restaurant was not really designed that way and is more of a community service for temple members and their families. It's not really a 'restaurant' at all - more of a church dining hall. We went on a Sunday for lunch and it was packed with families and children running around everywhere. It was very loud, and bustling, and while people seemed friendly it was overall just an extremely odd experience. The other reviewers who talk about how quiet and peaceful it is must have gone for lunch during the week. The food was somewhat bland but definitely healthy, but no matter how healthy the food is everything else was just so unappealing I will definitely not be going back. P.S. When we left we noticed the tea room at the end of the hall - it looks very nice, like a real restaurant, with smaller tables, nice lamps and decor, and pleasant atmosphere. There wasn't a sign (that I could spot) or any menu posted and after such an unappealing lunch we decided to just give up on the whole thing and go home. read more

My family has been visiting the lunch buffet at this nice place for many years. The items are very vegan friendly and as a vegetarian we like the food items. The items with Indian Curry flavor is a favorite of mine. The soup is healthy and tasty. I am a fan of their hot sauce and green chili pickle The cost of the buffet is low considering the number of food items and the quality. If you go after 12 30 pm some popular items like veggie spring rolls gone! read more

I met a few friends here for lunch one Saturday afternoon. I'm not that well steeped in Asian culture, so I saw this as a cultural opportunity. The lunch was okay. I actually used to be a vegetarian for a long time but became disenchanted with it, because despite a lot of effort to balance my diet, I still ended up always getting too many carbs and not enough protein. And despite this yumminess of the food here, I think that it was still to refined carb overload. The food aside, the center is quite interesting. They have a large Buddhist temple on the top floor and a school for kids. My friends who have been going here for lunch regularly for years say that while most of the people who worship here and send their kids to school here are Chinese, there are some non-Chinese families that go here. I am quite interested in Buddhism as a religion, and think that this is a great place to be plugged into a community that practices. But... if you don't read or speak Chinese, you'll likely be at a loss. Most of the signs are in Chinese and that was probably the most common language spoken there. That being said, I think it's cool that there is a large Buddhist center in the North Dallas suburbs. read more

Great place for lunch if you are a vegetarian. Their lunch has more offerings and price is good. Comfortable upstairs setting and warm atmosphere. read more

Budget priced, Vegan fresh hot buffet. Good selection. No weird food. The most exotic looking dish ended up to be cubed potatoes with carrots. The barley soup ended up being a slightly sweet dessert with coconut milk. Very clean & brightly lit. Why pay more for ambiance? It's at ELEVEN 11 ELEVEN International Drive on the 2nd floor. $6 CASH only. read more

Vegan lunch buffet offered from 1130am to 1pm every day except for Saturday. Nice selection of dishes served buffet style for $6 (cash). Only drink options are water and tea, so don't expect alcohol, sodas, or anything else. Food items usually consist of tofu dishes, various vegetable dishes, rice, noodles, and some soups. They also sell some pre-made to go meals (like some sushi dishes, etc.) at very reasonable prices as well in case you are in a hurry. Please note that this is inside of an active Chinese Buddhist temple and school for children - please bear that in mind if you visit and act respectfully while you are there. read more